SAGINAW, MI — The mission statement of the Saginaw Spirit is to make the Great Lakes Bay Region a better place to live, work and play; and they do that by displaying the best junior hockey league players in the world.

Two of those players will be on display for the world to see when former Spirit standouts Jan Mursak and Tomas Zaborsky suit up for their respective countries in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

“This has been a huge year for the Saginaw Spirit when it comes to alumni advancing to the next level in their careers,” Saginaw Spirit President and Managing Partner Craig Goslin said.

Former captain Brandon Saad became the first former Spirit player to win a Stanley Cup when the emerging NHL star helped the Chicago Blackhawk’s to the title in June, and now Mursak and Zaborsky have become the first former Spirit players to participate in the Olympics, according to Goslin.

Mursak and Zaborsky were both selected by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2006 CHL Import Draft with the No. 33 and No. 36 overall selections.

Zaborsky, who scored 50 goals with 63 assists in two seasons for Saginaw, will suit up for Slovakia, while Mursak helps lead the Slovenian national hockey team into the Olympics for the first time in his country’s history.

“It’s a very proud moment when you see a player like Jan Mursak working his way across the neutral zone in the Olympics,” Goslin said. “It’s very exciting when you see a Brandon Saad or Tom Pyatt score in the NHL, and I’m sure the Olympics will have that same feel.”

Mursak had a standout rookie campaign with Saginaw in 2006-07 when he scored 27 goals along with 53 assists and a plus-27 rating, and he had six goals and 20 assists in 2007-08 before being traded to Belleville. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings and played with the club for parts of three seasons.

Slovakia finished fourth in the 2010 games in Vancouver, and it plays in Group A with Slovenia, Russia and the United States.

Slovenia opens group play Thursday, Feb. 13 against Russia, and Slovakia opens the same day against the United States. Slovakia and Slovenia play each other at noon Saturday, Feb. 15.

Standings

Guelph leads the league at 41-9-2-1 with 85 points, but the Storm are in a battle with Erie, which is 41-10-2-0 for 84 points, for the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs. Both teams have secured a playoff bid, as has West Division leading and likely No. 2 seed Sault Ste. Marie at 36-14-1-4 for 77 points.

Two-time defending champion London is currently in line for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with 77 points at 36-12-1-4. Windsor is fifth at 33-18-2-0. The Spitfires are 13 points ahead of sixth place Saginaw at 25-24-4-1 for 55 points, however, Owen Sound is nipping at the Spirit’s heels at 23-23-3-4 for 53 points. Plymouth has a five-point lead on Kitchener for the final playoff spot in the West at 20-28-0-5 with 45 points.

At 34-15-0-5 and 73 points, Oshawa has secured the first playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Sudbury is in line for the No. 2 seed at 28-16-3-6 for 65 points, while Kingston is 30-19-2-2 with 64 points. North Bay is in fourth at 28-20-4-2 with 62 points, and Barrie is in line for the No. 5 seed at 27-22-1-2 with 57 points. Peterborough is 24-24-0-5 with 53 points and has the lead on the No. 6 seed.

Mississauga, Niagara and Ottawa are all battling it out for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Steelheads hold a two-game lead on the position at 21-30-1-3 with 46 points, while Niagara is 18-28-2-5 with 43 points. Ottawa is a point back of the IceDogs at 19-30-1-3 with 42 points.

Spirit Schedule

Plymouth Whalers at Saginaw Spirit

Puck Drops: 7:11 p.m., Friday

Record: Saginaw 25-24-4-1, Plymouth 20-28-0-5

Notes: Carter Sandlak leads the Whalers with 22 goals, and Zach Lorentz has 20 goals with 21 assists for a team-high 41 points. Chicago Blackhawks first round pick Ryan Hartman had 19 goals and 17 assists in 38 games. Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic is a top NHL prospect heading into his draft year. He’s 18-24-0-5 with a 3.15 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

Guelph Storm at Saginaw Spirit

Puck Drops: 7:11 p.m., Saturday

Record: Guelph 41-9-2-1

Notes: Guelph leads the league through 53 games with 85 points, and the Storm are primed for making a run at the OHL title. Winnipeg prospect Scott Kosmachuk has recorded his third straight 30-goal season, and he leads the team with 38 goals and 76 points. Carolina prospect Brock McGinn has 35 goals and 30 assists, and Robby Fabbri had 34 goals and 32 assists. Defenseman Matt Finn leads the OHL with a plus-46 rating, while Zack Mitchell is third at plus-42.

Saginaw Spirit at Sarnia Sting

Puck Drops: 2:05 p.m., Monday

Record: Sarnia 15-33-1-5

Notes: Sarnia has struggled to the worst record in the Western Conference, but the Sting have had Saginaw’s number this year. Nikolay Goldobin leads the team with 34 goals and 78 points. Nickolas Latta is having a career year with 31 goals and 26 assists for 57 points.

Saginaw Spirit at Peterborough Petes

Puck Drops: 7:05 p.m., Thursday

Record: Peterborough 24-24-0-5

Notes: Nick Ritchie leads the team with 29 goals and 27 assists. Hunter Garlent has been a hit since coming over in a trade with Guelph, recording eight goals and 13 assists in 13 games since the trade. Eric Cornel has 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points.